Associated album Charmbracelet End date February 26, 2004 | Start date June 20, 2003 Legs 7 | |
 | ||
No. of shows 20 in Asia
16 in Europe
33 in North America
69 Total Box office $6.0 million (First North American Leg) | ||
The Charmbracelet World Tour was a worldwide concert tour in 2003–2004 by American recording artist Mariah Carey in support of her album Charmbracelet. The tour started on June 20, 2003 in Seoul, Korea visiting several countries in Asia, Europe, and North America before ending on February 26, 2004 in Dubai. At the end of 2003, the tour placed 83rd on Pollstar's "Top 100 Tours", grossing more than $6.0 million with 25 shows from her first North American leg.
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Background
In April 2003, Carey announced a world tour in support of her recent studio album Charmbracelet. The tour followed her Rainbow World Tour in 2000 and was her most extensive lasting for sixty-nine shows over eight months. The tour reached many places in East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.
The long-running length of the tour had actually not been planned. After the initial stretch of the tour, Carey decided to add additional dates. For the new dates, she performed a more condensed show, cutting off several songs from the setlist and performing new songs in their place with Christmas elements during seasonal periods. Fans praised Carey for being in excellent voice the entire tour and Carey has claimed that the tour prepared her voice to record her next album The Emancipation of Mimi.
Before tickets went on sale in the US, venues were switched from large arenas to smaller, more intimate theater shows. According to Carey, the change was made in order to give fans a more intimate show, and something more Broadway-influenced. She said, "It's much more intimate so you'll feel like you had an experience. You experience a night with me." However, while smaller productions were booked for the US leg of the tour, Carey performed at stadia and arenas in Asia and Europe, and performed for a crowd of over 35,000 in Manila, 50,000 in Malaysia, and to over 70,000 people in China. In the UK, it was Carey's first tour to feature shows outside London; she performed in Glasgow, Birmingham and Manchester.
Critical response
The tour garnered generally positive reviews from music critics and audiences, many of whom complimented the quality of Carey's live vocals and the production of the shows. Fans were given the opportunity to request songs from Carey's catalog, which added to its positive reception. At her concert in Manila, Rito P. Asilo from Philippine Daily Inquirer wrote, "I didn't expect her voice to be that crystal clear!" He added, "After 15 songs, we couldn't seem to get enough of Mariah—and we became a believer!".
Carey's sexual image also generated some controversy during the tour. In various countries, she was often criticised for her choice of dress, and a Pan-Islamic youth leader attempted to have her banned from performing in Malaysia. She was eventually allowed to perform under the condition that she wore less provocative clothing while on stage.